Sarah Moore Grimke Background: Sarah Grimke was raised in the South by a wealthy family who owned slaves. After Quaker, Abolitionist, Woman's Rights Activist Accomplishments: Published: "Epistle to the Clergy of the Southern States (1836), "Letters on the Equality of the Sexes" (1837), "An Address to Free Colored Americans" (1837). After her publications, Grimke spoke alongside her younger sister Angelina Grimke Weld, in the Northeast.” “The Grimke sisters were some of the first women involved in public speaking, let alone commenting on slavery and women's rights” (Wheelan). “They addressed Anti-Slavery conventions in New York, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, and Massachusetts. In 1837, Sarah and Angelina began a twenty-three week lecture tour for the abolition movement. “Because of the controversy their tour created, the sisters became aware of the overwhelming parallels between women’s and slaves’ role in society. Both were denied the right to vote and the right to a secondary education, and both were treated as second-class citizens”. Grimke along with her sister and many other women “marched in procession in a driving snowstorm to the polling place. The gesture did not change the law against women voting, but it did receive a lot of publicity and was for the sisters a final ‘act of faith’ (Gale)” Views: Sarah Grimke was an abolitionist as well as a women’s rights activist. Grimke felt that all people were equal and that slavery was an abomination. She also felt that women had rights and could accomplish more in their lives than completing domestic duties. Criticisms and Goals: Grimke wanted to put an end to slavery; she felt that slaves were entitled to rights and unlawfully taught her slave attendant to read. Grimke also believed that women were entitled and deserved rights. Sarah Grimke and her sister Angelina even attempted to vote, but were not allowed. Grimke somewhat associated the entitlement that slaves had to their rights with the entitlements that women had to their rights. Sarah Grimke wanted slaves and women to gain the right to vote and the right to a secondary education. She also wanted both slaves and women to be treated as first-class citizens (Gale). Intent: Grime attempted to improve the quality of life for Americans. Grimke fought to win rights for slaves as well as women. Unfortunately, Grimke was forced to shift most of her focus to slavery (Sunshine). Grimke felt that all men and women of all races were created equal. She felt that the American people were entitled to equal rights despite race or gender. Successes: Grimke was successful in reaching many American people on her tour. Although she did not change any laws, her influence affected America. Sarah Grimke caused Americans to start questioning why women and slaves did not have rights. But, Grimke was successful in actively promoting her reforms. For abolition, Grimke and her sister “addressed Anti-Slavery conventions in New York, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, and Massachusetts”. They also “began a twenty-three week lecture tour for the abolition movement”. For woman’s rights, Grimke along with her sister and many other women “marched in procession in a driving snowstorm to the polling place. The gesture did not change the law against women voting, but it did receive a lot of publicity and was for the sisters a final “act of faith (Gale)”. “One historian said of Sarah's writings(were) a milestone on the road to the Woman's Rights Convention at Seneca Falls" (Women).
Practical Methods: Through publishing her writings and giving lectures, Grimke was able to effectively reach the American people. Through her publications and lectures, Grimke spoke of the wrongs of slavery and how slaves and women should be entitled to basic human rights. Grimke shared her views on the wrongs of slavery in “Epistle to the Clergy of the Southern States” (1836). In this letter, Grimke called upon the pastors (clergy) of the South to preach that the bible viewed slavery as wrong as well. The next year, in "Letters on the Equality of the Sexes" (1837), Grimke wrote of how she believed men and women to be equal and women should not simply submit and be “slaves” to their husbands. This was “the first document to link slavery to the unequal treatment of women” (Gale). In another letter, "An Address to Free Colored Americans" (1837), Grimke is “arguing that no race is inferior to another,” and pushing for the freedom for slaves as well as education for slaves (Anti-Slavery). Government: The federal government [Andrew Jackson] was pro-slavery, but if Sarah Grimke had had the support of the federal government, her cause would have been even more effective. Grimke had to finance her twenty-three week tour on her own. Grimke would have been able to travel even more and reach more people if she had been financed by the federal government. The government could have also promoted her causes [slavery and woman’s rights] and proposed bills to be signed in Congress protecting the rights of slaves and of women. Legislation could have been passed to ensure that the rights of slaves and of women were protected. Government officials could have freed their slaves to set the example for their people. Passing laws against slavery and approving bills to allow women’s rights (for example the right to vote) the government could have effectively supported Grimke’s cause.
"Sarah Grimke continued to campaign for civil rights and woman's suffrage until her death on December 23, 1873" (Spartacus). References:
1. “Letters on the Equality of the Sexes” were written by Sarah Grimke. These collections of letters support the fact that Grimke was indeed a women’s rights activist. Grimke felt that women should be considered equal to men and should have the right to vote and the right to a secondary education. Grimke also felt that women should not be “slaves” to their husbands and believed that women were competent enough to perform duties above domestic duties.
2. “An Address to Free Colored Americans" was also written by Sarah Grimke. In this address, Grimke is “arguing that no race is inferior to another,” and pushing for the freedom for slaves as well as education.Grimke considered all people to be equal and she viewed slaves as people, which was rare at that time.
Bibliography
“Anti-Slavery Convention of American Women.” Instructional and Media Sciences. 6
October 2009 <http://74.125.93.132/search?q=cache:ad_duT_6OhQJ:deila.d ickinson.edu/slaveryandabolition/title/0157.html+1837+an+address+to+free+colored+americans&cd=3&hl=en&ct=clnk&gl=us>.
“Sarah Grimke.” Spartacus Educational. 5 October 2009 <http://74.125.93.132/search?
cache:d8kl7_8v81sJ:www.spartacus.schoolnet.co.uk/USASgrimkeS.htm+sarah+g
rimke&cd=10&hl=en&ct=clnk&gl=us>.
"Sarah Grimke, Angelina Grimke." 1996. GaleCengageLearningCenter. 5 October 2009
<http://74.125.93.132/search?q=cache:4QiOPXicXK0J:www.gale.cengage.com/fr
ee_resources/whm/bio/grimk_sisters.htm+where+did+Sarah+Grimke+lecture&cd
Background: Sarah Grimke was raised in the South by a wealthy family who owned slaves. After Quaker, Abolitionist, Woman's Rights Activist
Accomplishments: Published: "Epistle to the Clergy of the Southern States (1836), "Letters on the Equality of the Sexes" (1837), "An Address to Free Colored Americans" (1837). After her publications, Grimke spoke alongside her younger sister Angelina Grimke Weld, in the Northeast.” “The Grimke sisters were some of the first women involved in public speaking, let alone commenting on slavery and women's rights” (Wheelan). “They addressed Anti-Slavery conventions in New York, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, and Massachusetts. In 1837, Sarah and Angelina began a twenty-three week lecture tour for the abolition movement. “Because of the controversy their tour created, the sisters became aware of the overwhelming parallels between women’s and slaves’ role in society. Both were denied the right to vote and the right to a secondary education, and both were treated as second-class citizens”. Grimke along with her sister and many other women “marched in procession in a driving snowstorm to the polling place. The gesture did not change the law against women voting, but it did receive a lot of publicity and was for the sisters a final ‘act of faith’ (Gale)”
Views: Sarah Grimke was an abolitionist as well as a women’s rights activist. Grimke felt that all people were equal and that slavery was an abomination. She also felt that women had rights and could accomplish more in their lives than completing domestic duties.
Criticisms and Goals: Grimke wanted to put an end to slavery; she felt that slaves were entitled to rights and unlawfully taught her slave attendant to read. Grimke also believed that women were entitled and deserved rights. Sarah Grimke and her sister Angelina even attempted to vote, but were not allowed. Grimke somewhat associated the entitlement that slaves had to their rights with the entitlements that women had to their rights. Sarah Grimke wanted slaves and women to gain the right to vote and the right to a secondary education. She also wanted both slaves and women to be treated as first-class citizens (Gale).
Intent: Grime attempted to improve the quality of life for Americans. Grimke fought to win rights for slaves as well as women. Unfortunately, Grimke was forced to shift most of her focus to slavery (Sunshine). Grimke felt that all men and women of all races were created equal. She felt that the American people were entitled to equal rights despite race or gender.
Successes: Grimke was successful in reaching many American people on her tour. Although she did not change any laws, her influence affected America. Sarah Grimke caused Americans to start questioning why women and slaves did not have rights. But, Grimke was successful in actively promoting her reforms. For abolition, Grimke and her sister “addressed Anti-Slavery conventions in New York, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, and Massachusetts”. They also “began a twenty-three week lecture tour for the abolition movement”. For woman’s rights, Grimke along with her sister and many other women “marched in procession in a driving snowstorm to the polling place. The gesture did not change the law against women voting, but it did receive a lot of publicity and was for the sisters a final “act of faith (Gale)”. “One historian said of Sarah's writings (were) a milestone on the road to the Woman's Rights Convention at Seneca Falls" (Women).
Practical Methods: Through publishing her writings and giving lectures, Grimke was able to effectively reach the American people. Through her publications and lectures, Grimke spoke of the wrongs of slavery and how slaves and women should be entitled to basic human rights. Grimke shared her views on the wrongs of slavery in “Epistle to the Clergy of the Southern States” (1836). In this letter, Grimke called upon the pastors (clergy) of the South to preach that the bible viewed slavery as wrong as well. The next year, in "Letters on the Equality of the Sexes" (1837), Grimke wrote of how she believed men and women to be equal and women should not simply submit and be “slaves” to their husbands. This was “the first document to link slavery to the unequal treatment of women” (Gale). In another letter, "An Address to Free Colored Americans" (1837), Grimke is “arguing that no race is inferior to another,” and pushing for the freedom for slaves as well as education for slaves (Anti-Slavery).
Government: The federal government [Andrew Jackson] was pro-slavery, but if Sarah Grimke had had the support of the federal government, her cause would have been even more effective. Grimke had to finance her twenty-three week tour on her own. Grimke would have been able to travel even more and reach more people if she had been financed by the federal government. The government could have also promoted her causes [slavery and woman’s rights] and proposed bills to be signed in Congress protecting the rights of slaves and of women. Legislation could have been passed to ensure that the rights of slaves and of women were protected. Government officials could have freed their slaves to set the example for their people. Passing laws against slavery and approving bills to allow women’s rights (for example the right to vote) the government could have effectively supported Grimke’s cause.
"Sarah Grimke continued to campaign for civil rights and woman's suffrage until her death on December 23, 1873" (Spartacus).
References:
1. “Letters on the Equality of the Sexes” were written by Sarah Grimke. These collections of letters support the fact that Grimke was indeed a women’s rights activist. Grimke felt that women should be considered equal to men and should have the right to vote and the right to a secondary education. Grimke also felt that women should not be “slaves” to their husbands and believed that women were competent enough to perform duties above domestic duties.
2. “An Address to Free Colored Americans" was also written by Sarah Grimke. In this address, Grimke is “arguing that no race is inferior to another,” and pushing for the freedom for slaves as well as education. Grimke considered all people to be equal and she viewed slaves as people, which was rare at that time.
Bibliography
“Anti-Slavery Convention of American Women.” Instructional and Media Sciences. 6
October 2009 <http://74.125.93.132/search?q=cache:ad_duT_6OhQJ:deila.d ickinson.edu/slaveryandabolition/title/0157.html+1837+an+address+to+free+colored+americans&cd=3&hl=en&ct=clnk&gl=us>.
“Sarah Grimke.” Spartacus Educational. 5 October 2009 <http://74.125.93.132/search?
cache:d8kl7_8v81sJ:www.spartacus.schoolnet.co.uk/USASgrimkeS.htm+sarah+g
rimke&cd=10&hl=en&ct=clnk&gl=us>.
"Sarah Grimke, Angelina Grimke." 1996. Gale Cengage Learning Center. 5 October 2009
<http://74.125.93.132/search?q=cache:4QiOPXicXK0J:www.gale.cengage.com/fr
ee_resources/whm/bio/grimk_sisters.htm+where+did+Sarah+Grimke+lecture&cd
1&hl
en&ct=clnk&gl=us>.“Sarah Grimke and Angelina Grimke Weld.” 2000. Sunshine For Women. 5 October2009 <http://74.125.93.132/search?q=cache:XROz_ELLAjoJ:www.pinn.net/~sun
shine/whm2000/grimke4.html+sarah+grimke&cd=3&hl=en&ct=clnk&gl=us>.
Wheelan, Joseph. “Mr. Adam’s Last Crusade.” Public Affairs. First Edition: United
States of America: 2008.
“Women of the Hall.” National Women’s Hall of Fame. 6 October 2009
http://74.125.93.132/search?q=cache:qitav0eBiKsJ:www.greatwomen.org/women.php%3Faction%3Dviewone%26id%3D70+sarah+grimke+slavery+writings&cd=3&hl=en&ct=clnk&gl=us.
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